​As flexible, absorbent and versatile as they are, manufacturing hydrogels can be costly and hard to scale up. Now, scientists at Stanford have developed new hydrogels made from common and inexpensive natural materials, which are easily adjusted for a range of applications.

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania have taken yet another step forward through the development of injectable gels that can strengthen areas most weakened by heart attacks and minimize the chances of heart failure.​

​A new hydrogel patch could provide a more targeted, triple-therapy approach to treating tumors. With benefits to using the patch both before and after tumor removal, and with tests of laboratory mice showing extremely positive results, the patch could have a big impact on cancer treatment.

​Major, uncontrolled blood loss can have major ramifications everywhere from the battlefield to the operating theatre. Now, scientists have developed a promising hydrogel infused with snake venom that is drawn to a wound and shuts down bleeding in a matter of seconds. ​

Scientists have developed a new hydrogel that stretches and contracts just like an artificial muscle. The team created an L-shaped object made out of the hydrogel and immersed it in a water bath. When the water’s temperature was varied, it slowly "walked" forward.

Hydrogels have huge potential in biomedicine, though they aren't without their shortcomings. But researchers have now developed a hydrogel that mimics the elasticity of human tissue and can be activated by exposure to light, claiming it could offer safer means of repairing wounded tissue.

A research team at UC San Diego has added hydrogel to its innovative nanosponge technique, first announced in 2013. The addition allows for the method to be used to tackle localized infections without the need for antibiotics.

Thanks to a new hydrogel, there may soon be a more reliable way of continuously monitoring the blood glucose levels of both diabetics and hospital patients. If incorporated into a device such as an implanted pump, it could trigger the release of insulin into the bloodstream as needed.